To Redeem Him
by ladyvader169
Summary: Luke has surrendered himself to the imperials and has been taken to his father.But Luke manages to get his father to walk with him before being taken to the emperor. Unaware that everything is not going to go as simple as he had thought.
1. Chapter 1

Luke Skywalker had surrendered himself to the Imperials in order to save his father, Darth Vader. His hands had been bound in cuffs as he was brought to the dark lord. The stormtroopers on either side of him were cautious of the young rebel whilst the commander led him to the dark Lord. "This is a Rebel that surrendered to us my Lord, although he denies that there might be more of them out there. I ask permission to conduct a search for more of them. He was armed only with this." He passed the boy's lightsaber into the dark lord's gloved hand as he replied. "Good work commander, leave us. Continue your search for his companions and bring them to me."

The officer bowed his head as he replied "as you wish my lord" and then left. The two were alone with one another. Lord Vader informed his son that the emperor had been expecting him and that he was looking forward to completing the boy's training. Luke gave none other than a simple nod, letting the dark lord think and tell what he wishes. "I know that you will not do it father. I know that you will not let the emperor touch me." Lord Vader looked at his son in amazement and in disbelief "Do you now, well we shall soon see." By now the father and son had both parted ways and stood motionlessly beside a large window, gazing out at the forest planet of Endor. Luke knew that his father was troubled. He did not know what to think or what to do. Should he trust his son and refuse to hand him over or should he finish his dept to the man who saved his life all those years ago on Mustafar? 

"Father, I want you to come with me. I can give you a new life, a family." Behind the terrifying black mask he felt a burning tear run down the side of his face. How those words made him think of Luke's mother, Padme'. He would do anything to get her back but the fact that she was never coming back always got to him before he could even try to smile. Luke felt his sorrow but said nothing as his father turned around to face him. "I- I cannot be free, my son. I am in dept and in service to my master. I cannot come with you." Luke shook his head in disbelief; he did not believe what he was hearing. His father was actually going to serve a man who had lied to his all his life and who planned to sacrifice Vader's life in order to bring a new and stronger apprentice to power such as Luke. He would not let it happen, he couldn't.

"Neither of us shall suffer the fate that the force has in store for us. I shall ensure that." His father looked at him once again in astonishment. His son planned to stop the force's plans. How was such a thing possible? Luke smiled at his powerful father as he whispered "I was brought to you, now I wish for you to walk with me. The emperor will not know." Vader took a deep exhale as he cautiously looked around the base before bending down to his son's level and replying. "Very well my son. I shall walk with you...where?"

"Through the forest, I have much I need to talk to you about." His father stiffened his back as he nodded and followed Luke's lead. Getting his father to walk with him was a start, maybe there was still a chance for him.


	2. Han's plan

They walked out of the bunker, side by side as Luke began to talk. "Father, I want you to be free, free from the emperor, the empire, yourself. I want you to be happy." The dark lord knew that the young Jedi spoke the truth. He did want him to be happy, he did want him to be free, but to Vader that just could never be. He must stay and obey his master. Luke felt confused. His father wanted to be free, but what was stopping him from being so, the emperor would not act. Or at least he thought not.

Meanwhile Leia had not left the Ewok Bridge where Luke had left her after explaining that she was his twin sister, Darth Vader was their father, and that he could save him. Han had come out several times but she still refused to share her thoughts. He came out one final time to check out what was wrong and this time she spoke. "Han, I know you are wondering what is troubling me, and I appreciate that. I just want some time alone." Han looked at her with a smirk on his face.

"Leia, you've had nearly the whole night. Now are you going to tell me what is wrong? Or am I gonna have to use some persuasion on you." He bent forward and gave her a kiss. For the first time in so many hours she smiled. "Alright Han, your kisses always get to me. I can feel Luke, he's still on this moon, still in this forest...And he is not alone." Her voice was low and fragile. Han looked at her as if she was Luke. Always troubled and paranoid with the force, just like that old man Ben. "Leia. let's just cut to the chase. Where is Luke and who is with him if he is not alone?"

"Vader." Was all she managed to say and as she said this monster's name, her voice began to tremble. "I can feel it Han, Vader is with him. They are in the forest together." Han held her close as embraced her "I can't lose Luke han, not to that creature." She was sobbing now, hugging even tighter into Han's chest. He took a deep breath as he kissed the top of her head before bulling away. "You won't lose him Leia, neither of them are leaving this moon. I'll be right back.

He went back into the Ewok's hut where his weapons lay on a wooden table. Once he was armed and ready he also took hooks made from the scrap metal of the imperial speeders. He took a bunch that had been filed down into sharp points along with some rope, made from the vines of the trees. When he was done with turning them into grabbing hooks, he knew that they would serve a good purpose. All he needed was back up. He went through all the huts, picking out the strongest and most trusted along with Wedge Antillies. He had his weapons, his back up and his plan. They were ready to go.


	3. Redemption

Vader had talked to his son on many things over the past hours, but still told him the same thing "I must obey my master." Luke knew that it was more that possible that there was no hope left for his father but he still refused to give up. They walked until they reached a clearing in the large forest. Luke took a deep breath and then told his father "come with me. I can offer you an escape from the dark side. As long as you remain what you are, you're in danger. You have committed so many crimes, believing you have been doing the right thing. But these crimes are actually doing is signing your death warrant. I can save you."

The dark lord's breathing quickened into rapid breaths, possibly showing that Luke's words had finally got to him. His son was right, as long as she remained a Sith and a war criminal he was slowly killing himself. It was all true; it was he who was the foolish one, the arrogant one. He had no one else to blame but himself. His father quickly looked at him and ran his gloved finger down the younger man's cheek. He was trying to mend his father's life, he knew that now. "You're the only thing that matters to me now, my son. It has been so long and I am ashamed that I am only realising this now. Forgive me." Luke felt a tear run down his cheek as he slowly walked closer and closer until he was locked in an embrace with his father.

"There is nothing to forgive. I know who you really are; I just hope and pray that you do to. I want to be the father I truly know, Anakin Skywalker." He buried his head into his father's chest. The last thing he wanted was to cry in front of his father. But Anakin was feeling very much the same way about himself. They stood locked in one embrace until the silence was broken by a number of twigs and leaves, snapping and crunching in the distance. Alarmed, Luke's head shot up along with his father's as they both heard the exact same sound. Vader stepped forward but was halted by Luke. "Shhhh, try not to make a sound. There's somebody here." He whispered as he continued to look around to see where the rustling was coming from.

"Possibly it's one or two of my men." Vader tried his best to whisper but the mask and the respirator made his voice boom throughout the forest. Luke lowered his hand to reach for his weapon but remembered it was missing. "My lightsaber. Father, where is it?" Luke turned around to his father who plainly stared at him. "I'm afraid I left it back at the bunker, sorry." Luke rolled his eyes, the one time he needed his weapon to protect himself and his father and it was not with him. "Well looks like I'm just going have to wrestle whoever it is, huh Father." The thing that surprised Vader that most was Luke's determination, he meant it. "Yes well, you're on your own with that one son." His father joked.

The strange rustling sound in the forest got louder and louder until it suddenly stopped, it all went quiet until someone's voice, a voice that seemed utterly familiar to Luke shouted. "Do it now." Luke turned around to protect his father but it was too late. Hooks filed down to sharp points were flung at the dark lord, piercing and holding him to the spot. Luke yelled out "NO!" As he ran to try and unhook his father but as soon as he got his hands on one, another was thrown, catching the back of Vader's neck. As soon as both of the ropes were tugged and pulled, his father was forced to the ground. Luke still refused to give up as he beheld the robes, straighten and become tighter, causing the hooks to grip more into his father's flesh.

He lay on his stomach, tied to the ground and unable to move. Luke sensed his father's pain and agony and the spear like points sunk even deeper into the Sith lord's body. Luke made one last 

attempt to free his father until he was suddenly distracted by a certain laugh that he had heard many times before. Luke was still unsure of what was going on. It was clearly an ambush on his father but by whom. Was it the emperor or rebels? He did not know. But it all became clear to him when a figure stepped out from behind the trees. It was Han.


	4. Captured

Han stepped out from the woods and along with him were more rebels holding the ropes firmly within their grasp. Han laughed again as he clapped singing luke's praise "Well done kiddo." He shouted as his men moved in closer to secure a badly wounded Vader. They walked cautiously over to the fallen Sith lord to make sure that he was wielded strongly to the ground. They bent down and tugged at the ropes, which showed that Vader was not going anywhere. They turned to Han and nodded who happily returned the nod back to them. Luke however was not pleased in the slightest; to him he had been betrayed by his best friend. Han knew that Vader was in connection to Luke through Leia and still he did not care. He did not show the slightest sign of sympathy for the Sith.

Han began to walk over to where Vader lay on his stomach, unable to move. Luke ran over to his father's side to ensure that no harm would come to him. He trusted Han with many things but when it came to his father's safety that was not one of them. They both walked over to where Vader lay moaning in pain. The sounds that came out of his mask almost broke Luke's heart. But Han on the other hand, it just made his heart stronger. It pleasured him to see Vader in pain for once. Now he knew how everyone else felt. He now shared their pain.

He nudged Vader's near unconscious form with his boot and was pleased to find that the man was making no attempt to escape. What was the use? In Vader's mind, Luke had betrayed him. Set him up. He had planned an ambush. He could not believe it. He had trusted his son, loved his son. Luke felt another tear run down his face as he bent down to Vader's crippled form and whispered "I'm sorry. I never knew about this, I didn't." Vader took a deep exhale as the rebels fastened the ropes tighter around his body, making sure that he could not move. He was their prisoner now. They tied his hands tightly behind his back and then left under Han's orders. They obeyed and left. It was only Han and Luke now, along with Vader.

Luke could still not get over what had just happened. His father was a prisoner and everything Luke had said to his father seemed to have come true. His father was in trouble, big trouble. Han looked at Vader and then at Luke. "You know Luke we couldn't have done it without you." He smirked as he once again looked at the unconscious form of Darth Vader on the ground. Luke grunted at the thought of it. "That's what I'm ashamed of Han. You couldn't have done it without _me_!" Han knew right away that Luke was nearly furiously with him. Han slapped his hands on his hips as he responded. "Oh, get over it Luke. His crimes have finally caught up with him and that is that." Luke scowled at the man as he rose to his feet. "He thought he was doing the right thing all along, he did not know." Han chuckled at this "Oh yeah kid, did he tell you to say that just so he could get out of the punishment." Luke had about a thousand things to say to Han on the subject but he chose not to continue the argument. He also knew that his father thought he was doing the right thing, but unfortunately Luke seemed to be the only one to believe it.

"We'll be bringing that murderer back to the base in twenty minutes. So be ready to go." Han announced sternly before heading back into the woods again. Father and son were left alone again.


	5. A Sith's Pain

Luke sat beside his father's weakened body as he waited for Han to come back. His father's breathing had almost been reduced to nothing. He did not know what was to become of his father. All he knew was that he would have to protect him. Han returned nearly a half an hour later to find Luke nearly asleep by his father's side. Han shook Luke gently, causing him to stir. Luke yawned and rubbed his eyes only to find Han staring at him. He helped Luke to his feet then awoke Vader by kicking him violently in the side. Vader took a deep breath as he slowly began to stir. Han rolled his eyes and grunted impatiently. He bent down and pulled the weak Sith lord to his feet just after cutting the ropes and unhooking the blades from his body. The blades left giant open gashes in his skin and even in his black suit.

Vader winced in pain as he was hurled to his feet. Luke tried to help his father walk. He went to the other side of him, putting his arm across his gashed back, supporting him. His father was barely conscious. But he still found the strength to give a slight moan. As Han and Luke started to walk, Vader's legs dragged uselessly behind him as he was forced to walk. "Hang on Vader. It'll be okay." He whispered as he tried his best to support his father's bulk whilst Han however was barely even helping either of them in the slightest. Luke looked worriedly at his father and then to Han "What is to become of him, Han?" Han stopped and stared at Luke as he replied "You're seriously asking me something like that Luke. What do you think is going to happen, huh? He will either be locked up for life or better still executed." He scowled at Luke and then turned to Vader, slowly forcing the wounded Sith to raise his head. "That's right, you hear me? EX-E-CU-TED." He shouted into the dark Lord's face and all Vader seemed to do in reply was dimly nod. Possibly not even knowing what he was talking about in the first place.

Vader hung his head low again as he began to chock and cough. Luke patted his back then looked at Han in a hurry. "Han please. He is so weak and badly wounded. I-I must get him tended to." Luke attempted to keep on going without Han, whilst trying to carry the deadweight of his father's body until he was suddenly blocked by him. "Why are you trying to save that 'thing' anyway? I know you have an apparent connection with him, I heard that through Leia. But what exactly is it? Unless you tell me, he can just stay here and rot for all I care." He stood firmly to the ground with his arms folded into his chest. Luke shifted his father's weight, trying to make it easier but it felt all the same. Vader coughed again as he turned into Luke's shoulder. "Son, I-I'm not going to make it." Luke laid his forehead against the front of the helmet. "Shhh, don't say things like that. I'm going to get you help, you'll make it." Vader was now struggling to keep his focus and Luke felt his body grow heavier. "Luke, I can't go on like this for much longer, I ca..." He was about to say more until he was cut off by Han, who violently grabbed him by the throat.

"Let me tell you a little something...You will go on, and do you know why I'll make sure you will? It's because I'll be damned if you're not going to slip your way out of this one. You may be fooling Luke but I'm not goi..." Before he could say another word Luke was the one to cut_ him_ off. "He's not fooling me Han. I believe him, I know that he is weak and tired and also wounded. It is you who does not seem to know or possibly even realise." Luke announced as he continued "now you will lead us back to the base, where he shall find and get medical treatment for his injuries. And only then shall we discuss my connection with Vader." Han took a deep breath as he returned to Vader's side. "When we get your friend seemed to, you're gonna have a hell of a lot of explaining to do." He warned as they continued to carry Luke's father, who they would soon have to drag if he got any 

heavier." They were now only a few minutes away from their destination and Luke only prayed that his father could hold on just a little bit more.


	6. Conflicted

They were almost at the Ewok settlement which was close to the base and Luke was more than relieved to know this. His father was still too weak, but he was trying his very best to be cooperative with them both. He had stumbled more than once and it was always Luke who had to be there to see if he was still fit for travelling whilst Han did nothing more than walk on. Once Luke heaved his father's body off the ground and finally caught up with Han. He had more than a couple of things to say to him. He had been keeping it all in for so long and right now he was just ready to crack. His father coughed weakly again and this time Han did stop. He turned and looked at the older man and said. "Kid, I mean it. If you can't get him to shut up with that damn coughing, I'll...I'll" Luke looked at Han in apparent disgust "you'll do what? In case you haven't noticed Han, we or better still I am trying my hardest to get him to the base before he gets any worse. It's not me Han, it's you who is actually not helping here. Luke stopped, gasping for breath. Once he began to get his breath back he turned and looked at his father, who seemed to be completely unconscious now. He then turned to look at Han who just remained standing there with such an expression on his face. I actually looked as if he was going to blow his top. His face was completely red; it was the most unnatural face colour Luke had ever seen.

"I'm not helping. Is that what you're telling me?" His voice raised and his anger brewing. "Luke, if it weren't for me, you would be dead by now. That asthmatic freak of nature would have killed you." In Han's mind he was doing the right thing, but in Luke's he was only thinking of himself. He knew that Vader would not have tried to hurt him, and Han also knew that. He was too overcome with fear and anger towards his father to admit that he wrong in some of that and that he was also brutal in capturing his father. Having him pinned to the ground by razor sharp hooks. Luke knew that it was not the Jedi way to continue a fight with another, even though you know that you are right. He closed his eyes and took a deep breath, let it out slowly and said calmly. "I will not continue this conflict between us Han. All I ask is that you help me get Vader to a place where he will be safe and I can..." Before he could continue with what he was going to say Han broke in with "Huh, that war criminal ain't gonna be safe anywhere, he too..." Luke put his hand up in front of Han's face and replied with a calm and quiet voice. "He is safe with _me _Han. I would do anything to protect him and that is final. 

Han was utterly taken by those words; Luke was prepared to actually protect _Darth Vader_. He returned to his position by Vader's side to help Luke carry him. "Sometimes I wonder whose side you're on Luke. You're friends are rebels but you are in connection with the most infamous Sith Lord there is. I just don't get who you're with. Is it their side or ours?" Luke Looked at Han when he was not looking at him then muttered. "I'm on my side. And I know you are too." He whispered to his unconscious father.

Luke knew that they were nearing the Ewok village. They were just in sight of it and he could feel Leia. Dawn was just breaking over the forest. It was beautiful. It was like a gleaming gold blanket from the sun settling over the entire forest. They were there now, at the village, the place where his father could hopefully get treated for his wounds. There was no one about, so there was no frightened screams just yet. As they prepared to enter one of the large trees in the settlement, Luke took one last glimpse at the sunrise and whispered gently to his motionless, weak father. "I wish you could see the sunrise father. It's beautiful." Luckily Han did not hear the word 'father' he was nearly asleep. They had been walking all night and the only one who seemed to be getting rest was Vader.


	7. The Ewok Village

They carried him into the large room inside the gigantic tree. He began to stir more than once, For Luke it was a relief but to Han it was bad luck that lord Vader was still alive. He hated Vader with all of his heart and he would not hesitate to watch him die. They brought him into the room and still there was no one there. Luke laid his father down on a wooden carved bench at the side of the room, whilst Han observed the large empty room. "They must've heard that Vader was coming and split, hey kid." Luke said nothing, he just made sure that his father's oxygen levels were still stable but unfortunately they were beginning to decrease rapidly. He was not in first class health at all. Luke could not tell if his father was unconscious or just merely asleep. Either way was fine with Luke, as long as he was alive. He watched the slow rise and fall of the dark lord's chest before turning to Han. "Where do you think they all are?" Han chuckled as he replied "I told you Kid, they probably heard that helmet head was coming and split." Luke sniggered at Han as he walked even closer to him. "You're so funny." He spat sarcastically.

Han snorted at Luke's sudden change in attitude. "Your attitude is really starting to get to me now Kid and I'm getting sick of it." Luke looked at him as if he was not serious but apparently he was. "_My attitude_, take a look at yourself Han, you're the one with the rotten attitude. It was you who did not bother to help me with Vader. It was you and your men who badly wounded Vader and made him weak like this. I mean who the hell captures someone with grabbing hooks, seriously. You caught, handled and treated him as if he was an animal being hunted for game." He paused for a minute, sensing that his words were making no difference. "Han. Are you even listening to me at all?" Han snapped himself out of his daydream and turned his attention back to Luke. "I'm tired of listening to you sometimes kid." Luke scowled at Han's words and returned to his father's side. "How does Leia cope with you? Seriously" Han felt the anger brewing in him. He clenched his hand into a fist as he marched over to the younger man. "I think you may find that Leia is none of your business." Luke had never felt like this before, he felt as if the whole galaxy was against him all because he was trying to save a member of his family, his father.

Luke sat in thought with his father's head resting on the bicep of his arm. He looked down at his father and smiled. He knew that he was doing the right thing, if Han was just going to be difficult then that was not his problem and it was not his father's either. He leaned his head his father's helmet and closed his eyes. He had found his long lost father at last and he would never lose him again. No one would take his father away from him; he would make sure of that. He opened his eyes and found that Han had left the room and was standing outside in the shade. Even though Luke was certain that he knew what he was doing and that Han was just angry about Vader. He started to consider at the same time that he still had to be careful on what he was doing. It looked like it was either abandon Vader and keep his best friend or save and protect his father and lose his best friend. It was a painful choice that he was afraid that he might have to make at some point. 

It didn't look like he would be able to have both. But why did it have to be this way? Why was going to have to choose? It was not fair. Only then did he understand that it was not only the imperial side that was unfair it was his side also. It restricted and separated families all because of a stupid feud between two sides. He also wondered why he had to be part of the very rebellion. He took time to look around the room for himself, his father was resting at last and Han had a chance to cool off. The space was huge and there was not a sound except for the constant wheezing sound of his father's breathing. He had noticed ever since they had captured Vader that his breathing had also become laboured also. The ambush was sudden and painful; at first he thought that it was just merely shock. 

But now he knew that it was more than that after seeing his oxygen levels. It was severe lack of oxygen and exhaustion. Letting him rest for a while would be the last he could do for his father. He tenderly wrapped both of his arms around his father's body and gently he pulled him closer. He huddled into his father and closed his eyes again but before drift off to sleep he heard Han's stern but quiet voice calling to him. "Hey Luke, I hope you got a good reason for Darth being here." Luke still had his arms around Vader as he replied. "Han. You know why he is here, he is.." Han looked around him with a smile. It was the first smile Luke had seen from Han all day. "Not me Kiddo. The others are coming. And something tells me they are not just going to waltz in here, wave and say hello Darth Vader. Like I said earlier, be ready." Luke gulped as he saw shadows coming out of another hut and heading for the one he and Vader were in. He hugged his father close into his chest as he whispered. "It's going to be alright. Trust me."


	8. The Rebels

A few moments later the rest of the rebel group along with Mon Mothma and general Reiken arrived outside the hut where Han was standing biting his nails. He looked at them as he informed "the kid, Luke. He's got a little surprise for us." They looked at him with uncertainty as they continued to walk into the large room. "They're both dead men." Han muttered as he followed behind the group to find Luke cradling his father's body in his arms. They stopped horror as they beheld the sight before them. For a moment they did not know if they were only dreaming or not. But to make things even more terrifying they weren't. Mon Mothma stepped forward along with Princess Leia they both looked at the weak Sith Lord. She approached him slowly whilst Leia stayed put. She went to Vader's side first and looked into his mask; she was too overcome with fright and confusion. What on earth was someone like Darth Vader doing here? It didn't make any sense, not at all. She examined Vader's body as she came across large, bleeding gashes all over his suit. She touched one of the wounds causing Vader to moan whilst turning his head weakly into the side of Luke's arm. Luke sniffed back a tear as he held him even tighter. "Shhhh. She's just having a look at you." She quickly took her finger away from his wounds, not wanting to harm him or cause alarm.

She then finally turned to Luke and then asked "care to explain this, Luke." Luke looked at Vader and back to Mon Mothma as he replied "I'll let Han explain." She looked at him in surprise then turned her attention to the figure standing outside with his arms folded. "Solo, why is Lord Vader here and what has happened to him? He looks wiped out." Han unfolded his arms as he made his entrance into the large room. He kept his eyes on Luke whilst everyone else had their eyes on him. When he came into close contact with Mon Mothma he just stood and said nothing. She was a patient woman but when it came to suspicion and brutality of others she was not so patient or easy going. She knew that Han had something to do with it but before she could say anything she wished to hear it from Han himself. Han took a deep breath and began. "He nearly killed the Kid, I went after the both of them and found Vader with a grip on Luke and I..." "No! No, that's a lie, its all lies. He would not try and.." Luke cut Han from his words trying to explain but _he_ was then cut off by Mon Mothma. She pointed her finger at Luke whilst still looking at Han. "Young Skywalker, I will hear your point of view in a minute. Right now I am listening to general Solo's part of the story." Luke felt anger rise within him, his father could be dying and they were just making him sit there.

Luke scowled at Han who returned the facial expression right back at him. Luke also felt a more tears run down the sides of his face but no one saw it. All they saw was a boy holding a wounded Sith lord in his arms. Luke did not care anymore about what Han had to say. His father could die and saving him was the most important thing at the moment. "Senator Mothma. He is incredibly weak and I feel in the force that he cannot keep up that last of his strength for much longer. You must understand when I say that I must help him; he is in dire need of help. Please." She turned around to face Luke and the first thing she saw were continuous tears falling down both sides of his face. She then looked down at Vader and only then did she notice that he had his hands bound. She looked at Luke and smiled, then looked at Han with a deep frown on her brow. She knew that he had been captured by a brutal method. She did not know for sure who had used such a cruel method to catch him, but the evidence she saw so far on Vader's wounds, weakness and Luke's words at the very start pointed to none other than Han Solo.

She stood for a moment and then announced in front of everyone "what has the rebellion become? We are no better off than the Imperials and their methods. We never use brutality to capture an imperial or in this case a war criminal. No matter how infamous, powerful or hated they are, we never force of torture to bring down an enemy. I am utterly and truly disgusted that any of you would do such a thing, you are no better than those imperial troops. I am of coarse speaking to those men who I am sure were with general solo. He could not have brought lord Vader down all by himself, and I am confident that Luke did not have anything to do with the capture." Luke smiled when he heard those words, he felt as if he was not alone and even Vader looked up at him ever so slightly. Luke smiled as he shifted his father's weight to make him more comfortable. Even Vader felt a tear run down the side of his face. Luke saw it through the black lenses of the mask. When he was sure that no one was looking at him he bent down and whispered is the lowest of voices. "See, I told you that I had nothing to with Han's plan. Everything's going to be okay father, I promised you." His father nodded as he felt himself losing consciousness. Luke put his hand at the back of his father's head to support him. He felt as if everything was going to turn out right again. His father was safe with him and I looked like his father was also safe with Mon Mothma, who had dismissed the group, including Han Solo to give the father and son some privacy together.

She walked into the room and over to where they both sat. She stopped in front of Luke and whispered "come on Luke, I'll take you to the rebel infirmary." Luke looked up her and smiled, she returned the smile as she helped sit Vader upright. They both took an arm and put it over their shoulders, helping him walk. Luke felt warm inside, he could barely feel his father's weight. For once someone was actually willing to help his injured father.


	9. Finding Rest

She helped Luke lift Vader to his feet. He was starting to regain consciousness but his breathing as still laboured and wheezy. Once he was standing on his feet he was slowly led out of the hut and across a wooden bridge. Everyone in their way automatically stood aside, staring in fascination and in shock. They both tried to ignore the staring faces but it was kind of hard since there were so many faces. And who could blame them. They were carrying the powerful Lord Vader. But deep down they both saw him as a man in need of medical care and they would both do whatever they could to help him. Once they got out of the crowds that had appeared to take a good look at the wounded Sith Lord. They found that they were closer to the infirmary than they had thought. Luke thought he could just reach his hand out and grab it. Once they reached the medical facility Luke got a bit of a shock. The infirmary as not the tall building he had thought of. Instead it was just another simple, but large hut and inside there were tons of medical supplies packed in boxes at the side of the hut. It had a number of beds filling nearly the whole space. It wasn't much but it was sure better that nothing at all. Mon Mothma shifted Vader's weight as she led both him and Luke into the large medical hut. She stopped beside a bed just near to the entrance and then said to Luke "Help me lay him down." Whilst trying to loosen Vader's limp arm from around her shoulder.

Luke nodded and did the same. Once they were free from Vader's arms they both gently placed their arms across his back, pushing him down . It did not take much effort; he pretty much fell onto the bed. Once he was lying straight on the medical bed Mon Mothma looked at Luke and asked "go to the medical supplies, hunt out an oxygen mask." Luke showed no hesitation on following her orders. He ran to the boxes of supplies, throwing everything about until he found one. He picked it up and brought it to Mon Mothma who had removed Vader's gloves. Luke stared at her in confusion. "What are you doing?" He stood there and asked as she unclipped the silver chain around his neck then removing his long black cape. She turned around and clicked her fingers, telling Luke to give her the oxygen mask. She set the oxygen mask down beside him the attempted to remove his black helmet. Luke caught her by her arm and said "no, please don't." She looked right back at him and replied "do you want him to die?" Luke knew that it was for the best. He trusted her. She knew what she was doing.

"His suit must be removed if he is going to have any chance of survival, trust me Luke." She offered him a slight smile, she was wise, and she knew that he was worried about Vader and the removal of his suit and armour. But it had to be done. Luke knew that. He looked at Vader then to Mon Mothma and back to Vader again. He was more nervous than ever since she asked him to help her do it but he still agreed. She began to slowly remove his helmet and already she could see the contents the helmet had. The inside was filled with air tubes most of all; they were mostly at the very top. Mon Mothma was fascinated by this; she knew that all of this ensured his survival in everyday life. His whole life was constantly hanging on by a thread. She snapped out of her thoughtsa and quickly set to work removing the most important part of his survival, the mask.

She slowly took a grip on both sides and pulled it away from his face and what she beheld was shocking. His face for a start, it was ghostly pale and he seemed to have two large facial scars on his face. One ran under his left eye, the scar ran all the way to the back of his ear and the other was on the same side only on the top of his head. It looked like a hideous open gash that had not healed in years. His eyes were closed; she knew that he was still unconscious. She did not hatred and greed in this man; she saw suffering and pain, it was his pain. His eyes twitched as if he was about to wake up but instead of awakening he just began to cough and choke. He was gasping for breath. The mask had been removed and there was nothing no to protect his lungs. She quickly grabbed the oxygen mask and fastened it tightly and securely over his ravaged face. "There you go." She whispered to him as he inhaled the oxygen whilst she began to remove the shoulder armour and hopefully the whole suit along with it.

The shoulder amour came off easily but the rest of it was not so straight forward. She sometimes had to ask Luke to help her tug and pull the suit off his arms and chest. It was the most agonizing job she ever had to do, but she and Luke both knew that it was for the best. As more of the suit came off the more the scars and pale flesh became visible. His chest was the first part she saw fully without the suit and along with the rest of his body, it was scarred all over with an other huge gash running across is chest. It looked as if he had been struck with a lightsaber blade but she assumed that a wound of that sort would of healed without leaving any marks. She then felt a sudden feel of compassion for him. /No wonder he had to wear all of this, he's literally and physically a mess./ She thought to herself as the last of the suit came off, along with his metal limbs. But as soon as the limbs were taken off blood began to drip nonstop from the stumps that were once his legs and arms. 

Curiously she looked at the part that was attached to his legs and found the there were four large spikes at the top. The spikes had been carelessly shoved into the severed leg stumps and it was the same with the false arms. It was a painful method to ensure that the limbs would stay on, not to mention that they were possibly soldered on al well. He was completely bare now. He rolled onto his side and curled up in a ball with what was left of his Legs. She had untied his hand back at the other hut but that did not make much difference. She knew if he had his hands he would hug his arms tightly in an attempt to keep warm, he was shivering like mad. The suit was the thing that kept him warm and with that gone he was freezing. His head was tucked into what was left of his arms as if he was trying to hide his face. Luke felt another tear fall down his face, seeing his father like this, weak, injured, cold and stripped. It nearly broke his heart and it looked like Mon Mothma was feeling the same way. She wiped her eyes as if she was crying or just about to start.

Luke looked around the room and saw a huge pile of furs in the corner if the room. They must have been blankets. Perfect. He ran over to where they lay on the floor, plied high. He took a thick fur, returned to his father's side and draped it around his body. His father exhaled deeply as he turned into the warm furs. Luke knew that if his father got the right medical treatment and plenty of rest he would be fine. Mon Mothma looked at the both of them then whispered to Luke. "I think it's time we left, let him sleep for a while. I'll come with you to check on him later" Luke nodded as he followed her out of the medical hut. She then turned around to him as if to say something urgent but all she said was. " Oh, by the way. The reason I removed his limb's Luke was because I did not want him to be in any more pain or suffering. And it would have been too hard to remove the damn thing if I didn't." She gave a slight but pleasant smirked at Luke as they stopped and stood just outside the large hut so that Luke could take one last look at his father before finally leaving.

As he took one last glimpse at him he then stood back as Mon Mothma pulled a long fur towards her that hung just above the entrance to the infirmary. She gave the long fur one last tug before it finally fell forward, draping over the entrance like a curtain. His father had finally found somewhere to stay and rest.


	10. A Long Stay

One month had passed quickly for Luke since his father had been captured. He went to visit him three to four times a day and sometimes even spent the night in the hut. The reason he had been spending so much time with his father was simple. He had recently learned that his father had fallen into a coma due to the lack of oxygen on the first day and he also appeared to have a pierced lung. He sat in the hut and waited for any sign of movement but there was always none. Mon Mothma often accompanied him to the hut and also stayed a while with him. Luke often shed a tear as the time passed and his father still did recover. He did not know if he had enough courage in him to go and talk to Han. He watched the slow rise and fall of his father's chest and that was all the movement he ever saw of him. He tried his best to carry on with life but he could not stop thinking of his father. He approached several of times but every time Han turned around to him, once he saw it was Luke he just turned away again. He would not talk to him at all.

He was on his way back to his own hut to get some rest when he suddenly heard Mon Mothma calling him. He turned around to see her running like mad to catch up with him. When she finally caught up with him she just stopped and began panting, trying to get her breath back. Luke put an arm on her shoulder asking her what all the fuss was about. She took a deep breath as she looked into his eyes. "Luke, it's your father. He's a-awake." Luke felt a great deal of relief washing over him when he heard this news. Without saying another word, he turned on his heel and ran the opposite way from where he was originally headed. He wanted to see it for himself; he wanted to see his father with his eyes open. He ran all the way to the medical hut with Mon Mothma running behind him, trying to keep up. He felt his heart race as he came to the hut. He stood outside where the fur curtain still draped over the entrance. He closed his eyes and prayed that it would be true, that his father was okay. He would soon find out.

He did not look as he pushed the curtain aside and went in, but when he did look he felt as if he was about to cry. His father's pure blue eyes were open and his chest was constantly rising and falling. Luke made his way over to the bed and kneeled down beside him. His father automatically looked over at the figure next to him. "Luke?" He croaked as his sight became more focused. Luke laid his hand on the side of his father's face as he greeted "hello father." Vader gave a slight smile that his son was alive and well. He was also relieved to find that the emperor had not taken him while his father was weak and injured because if that emperor had have done that his father would have been able to do nothing to prevent it. Vader felt his eyes suddenly getting heavy. He was losing consciousness again. Luke pulled the blackest over his father as he lost consciousness. The last thing his father did was smile.

Luke looked at his father's still weak form the asked "has he eaten anything." Mon Mothma stared down at Luke then replied in a low voice "nothing. He hasn't eaten or drank anything. I have tried to give him something to eat but he just won't take it." Luke looked at his father's unconscious form and the suggested to her "Have you tried putting something in his mouth for him. That might work." She shook her head in disagreement. "I already tried that. He took it in his mouth okay, but he had real difficulty swallowing it." Luke did not know what else to suggest. Mon Mothma also appeared to have discovered something else. "Luke, I know that this might sound a little crazy but I think that the suit controlled his digestive system, it did everything else for him. Why not that? And that might be why he is not feeding. The suit has been removed." Luke did think it was crazy at first but it all did start to make sense when she began to explain.

He turned to her once again and replied. "Do you know something, I think you're right." If that was the case then it was going to be a long stay at the infirmary unless they could get him to start eating. He literally looked like a skeleton. He was nothing more than skin and bone. It was far past natural, he had not eaten in just over a month. They were going to have to do something.


	11. Knowing what to do

Although everyone else was not so easy going that a Sith lord was staying with them. There were already rumours going around that Luke was a Sith, an imperial, a traitor. Thankfully anytime Mon Mothma heard this she immediately stopped and announced that was a load of lies and wide spread rumours. Although she was also putting herself at risk, the fact that she was helping someone like Darth Vader was also passed around. She was now under suspicion and she was now unpopular amongst the rest of the alliance council. Despite her dangerous position, she still kept her head held high and either ignored or denied it. Her only concern was Luke and Vader. Luke would be in far more danger if the rest found out about his connection with Vader. To them the son of Lord Vader was no better that Lord Vader himself and Mon Mothma was disgusted at this. A son cannot choose his father, even if it is Lord Vader.

She checked on him and Luke everyday and the both of them never gave up on getting him to eat something. The closest they ever got with getting him to eat something was eventually getting a piece of food into his mouth but that was all. He almost chocked on the food every single time he tried to swallow and they did not even try to get him to drink, what was the use of it. He would just spit it out again. It was either chocking or starvation. Each time she went into the hut she mostly found Luke with his father, looked fine apart from his ribcage and bones which were clearly visible. She came into the hut on evening to find Luke at his usual sitting spot beside the bed. She walked over to him, laid and hand on his shoulder. "How is he?"She asked in low but soft voice. "He's fine apart from his hunger and thirst." The smile on her face suddenly faded away as laid a hand gently on his forehead, he was also burning up. Both she and Luke were both concerned. "Is he really hungry?" She asked as she pulled the blankets over his body. Luke looked around at her and nodded. "He's absolutely starving." He replied as he suddenly came across an expression on Mon Mothma's face.

"What's wrong? Are you alright." She looked at him and nodded slightly but she knew herself that she was not alright at all. "It's just seeing him like this Luke and thinking that we are the only two in the whole base who aren't prepared to just let him die. It's just unfair." She looked at him and then to the figure lying in the bed again. Vader began to cough again; it was the chestiest, wheeziest cough she had ever heard in her life. She laid her hand on his chest, rubbing it gently. "If his heart beats any slower it'll stop and he'll die for sure, not to mention if he gets any thinner. If we cannot do anything and if no one here is willing to help then we need to find somewhere that will help him. I think we should take him to Coruscant. They have plenty of better medical centres." Luke thought for a minute, and then replied. "No, it would be too crowded there. Maybe we could go somewhere else with the same level of medical treatment." Mon Mothma had nowhere else in mind so it was quite difficult to think of a place. "Well if we can't bring him to Coruscant, the only two places I can think of are Kamino or Polis Massa medical centre." They were the only two she knew of that had top of the range medical supplies and Kamino specialised in cloning and healing. Mon Mothma then had second thoughts on the whole thing. "But they are both too far from here. We can't." Luke then snapped out of his thoughts about the two medical centres she mentioned. "Kamino! That's it. Mon Mothma looked at Luke in suprise the she finallycaught on to what he was thinking. The whole thing was a long shot but it would be worth it if they could heal him. With any luck they could heal his ravaged lungs and hopefully his body. If it was possible with clones then they should have no problem in healing his father.

"Well, if you're sure about this then I'm with you." She said with sigh. Sometimes there was just no winning with Luke. Luke felt like he could just kiss her but would not dare to. He would get knocked across the room, but still felt like doing it anyway. She was literially trying to save Darth Vader. And she was the leader of the Alliance. He definitely did not feel alone anymore. They would have to arrange a transport to take him to Kamino and she knew just the guy to fly them there, Han Solo. If he refused then he would not call himself a rebel again. Turning down the leader of the alliance's command would have consequences. Even Luke sensed that Han would not refuse. It was the perfect chance to set things straight. Maybe he could have his father and his best friend after all. Maybe things were not so unfair. He would soon find out his father's fate. There was also another person who he wanted to see and settle things out with, Leia. But would she be ready to talk to him after what happened with him and Vader?


	12. Leaving Endor

Mon Mothma smiled at Luke on last time before she went out of the hut to find Han whilst Luke remained with his still drained father. She looked at every rebel she came across but there was no sign of him. Some of the men scowled at her but as usual she ignored them and looked elsewhere. She finally found him just outside the village at the top of the Millennium Falcon, hammering and drilling away. He had landed the ship in a large clearing in the forest and he was getting help from simple droids. She stopped and called to his several times but her voice was outcompeted with the noise of his drilling and the other sounds such as droids and other ships in the sky flying over them. She bided her time until most of the noise had cleared. Once it had she made one more attempt to be heard. She called his name as loud as she could whilst also banging on the front of the ship. It was either the banging or her voice he heard or possibly even both but he sure turned and looked down at her.

"What is it?" He shouted as he resumed his tools and began to fix his ship again. She wasted no time in telling him what she was here for. "Luke needs your help and so does Vader." Han turned around and chuckled. "Does he, well tell him he ain't getting any. And neither is that seven foot freak." Her facial expressions changed from patient to stressed and now she just felt like going up there and personally grabbing him by the throat. "General Solo, we need to get Vader to Kamino fast and..." "We need you to get us there." Han finished the sentence for her, knowing straight away what was being asked of him. "I am not carrying a war criminal on _my _ship. And that's final." She slapped her hands on her hips as he continued to repair his ship. "So when will you be ready, Han?" He rolled his eyes and grunted in frustration. "I told you no!" She took a deep breath and she soon realised that what she was doing now at the moment was her problem. She was asking him, she was being too nice. That would soon change. She stomped her foot on the ground and shouted at the top of her voice. "Han Solo, I am not asking you anymore, I'm telling you now. You will take us to Kamino and you will do it when you are told to. Do I make myself clear?" Han Turned around in Shock and replied "Yes m-my lady." At last Mon Mothma had spoken. "Luke, Vader and I will meet you back here in twenty minutes. Have the ship ready to go by the time I get back. Is that clear?"

Han nervously nodded his head in reply as she left satisfied. She returned to the village and to the Infirmary to find Luke checking his father's temperature. He still looked worried. She quietly walked over to him and placed a hand on his shoulder, causing him to flinch. She gave a slight laugh as she informed him that he did not have to worry, they would be leaving for the ship any minute now. Luke nodded as he helped slowly sit his father up straight. He could not put the suit back on him so he would just have to wrap him in a fur blanket. Also because he was that thin, none of the tunics or clothing would fit him. He would slip out of them as soon as they were on him. She also helped him by supporting his head as it fell limply into his scarred chest. He was still very weak, after so many weeks, he was still too weak. And to make things worse, he couldn't even walk. Luke said that he would carry him. He was a lightweight after all. The suit was off and he was starving. He felt a light as a feather which still worried Luke a little.

Once he had his father in his arms Mon Mothma bundled him up in the thick fur blanked that was on the bed. After wrapping him up, she checked his oxygen and packed another oxygen mask just in case. They were ready to go. They left the hut in a hurry. Frost hand struck the forest and their breath was clearly visible in the air as they ran. Luke turned his father's head into his chest as he pulled the warm fur over his head. He could not risk his father's temperature dropping, not after everything he had been through in the past month. Luckily Han had flown his ship closer to the village and was now waiting on their arrival. Once he saw the two of them running towards the ship 

he immediately ran inside to get the Falcon started up. They were almost ready to go. They ran the front of the ship as the ramp slowly dropped, letting them come aboard. Mon Mothma was the first run into the ship followed closely by Luke who was still carrying his father's body. When they were both in Han raised the ramp and began preparing for takeoff. He strapped in then shouted to the back of the falcon. "Strap yourselves in. That's including you Luke." Luke smiled at Han's words, he was talking to him and he did not sound one bit angry or frustrated. Maybe he was starting to see at last that Luke was only doing what he believed was right. Luke strapped himself in whilst Mon Mothma took charge of his father, strapping him in including herself. She felt the ship vibrate the engines roar. As the ship began to rise she remembered something. She stretched her neck sound the corner and shouted into the cockpit "Han, don't leave yet." Han let the ship slowly fall to the ground as he turned around to answer. "Why? I thought you wanted to get the guy to Kamino. Changed your mind or something?" She looked at Luke and then back to the cockpit again. "No, we're still headed for Kamino. It's just that I want you to wait on someone." Han was confused now. He had been told that it was the four of them, including himself. Another would make five or perhaps he misunderstood.

Before Han could open his mouth to question anymore he heard a voice calling "Han, will you wait a minute!!" Han recognized that voice he turned around and looked out the domed, glass window at the front of his ship, and he got a surprise. "Leia?" He did not know what else to say, why was Leia coming and why the hell was she running like a maniac for? As he heard the ramp being lowered again he looked at Mon Mothma in surprise also. Why was Leia coming and what did she have to do with any of this? Mon Mothma chuckled as he beheld Luke's confused face. "I took the Liberty on inviting Leia along with us after I had finished talking to Han or better still _shouting_ at Han. She has a right to know as much as you do about Vader. I know that you are also connected with her also Luke, it is not very hard to figure that out." Luke smiled at her for doing and arranging all this for him. If it weren't for her his father would not have got medical help and could have well died. If it weren't for her they would not be going to Kamino. And Han would never have seen that what he did was wrong, cruel and brutal if it weren't for her.

She knew that Luke was truly grateful to her for what she was doing and had done before. But before either of them could say one more word to each other Leia stormed into the ship and appeared to be in a bad mood. Her eyes met Han's first of all and all she said was "don't do that again." "How was I meant to know that you were coming? No one tells me anything."He shouted back as she continued to pant for breath as she walked to the back of the falcon to meet the rest of the passengers. She smiled at Mon Mothma and then looked at Luke. "You better explain all of this, Luke Skywalker." She stood with her hands on her waists as she stared down at Vader's thin body. Luke knew that most of the explanations, nearly all of them that Liea was expecting from him were his actions with Vader and why he saved his life in the first place. Luke took a deep breath and then said to his sister. "Look Leia, I know there is much that I have not told you but I promise that I will tell you everything when we get to Kamino. Okay?" The frown on her face soon turned into a smile as she sat down beside her brother and embraced him. "I cannot stay mad at you Luke. It was your choice and your choice alone. You did not do anything to offend me and I know that you would never try to. You are not Vader." She sobbed as he hugged tighter into him. He gently brushed the hair away from her face, kissed the top of her head and whispered "I love you Leia, and I would never do anything to hurt you. I will tell you everything. You have my word on it."He cradled her in his arms as he felt the ship lift off the ground. They were on their way.


	13. Kamino

The journey to Kamino was long and boring but Han kept encouraging theta they would be there soon. Luke's father slept most of the way with Luke watching over him. Leia watched closely on how the two of them had formed a bond with each other. She knew that he was he father but she tried her very best to convince herself that it was not true. She now sat with Han in the co-pilots seat whist everyone else just simply waited for the ship to come into landing. Luke had asked Mon Mothma the same question several times. What would they do to his father once they arrived at Kamino? She had answered this question time and time again, she actually knew that answer off by heart. They would take him in and help him. They would help him with his injuries and try to get to make a full recovery. His weak state would also be taken care of and if Kamino was as good as she had heard, they would give him new lungs and train him to use the new pair. They would just have to find out.

They had been sitting in the same spot, in the same place for nearly two hours. They all felt like screaming and Luke almost did just when Han shouted. "Hey, we're here. So keep yourselves strapped in. I'm taking her in for a landing." They obeyed and made sure that their flight harnesses were tightly secured. The ship felt as if it was caught in a storm, everything shook, including them. Luke felt like he was going to tumble off his seat and his father with him but at least he kept a tight hold on him. His father was lucky; he did not know what on earth was going on. They eventually came into the atmosphere of the planet Kamino. It would be easy going from there. Once they had got through the atmosphere. As soon as they did everything went still again, it was quiet. All that could be heard was the roar of the ship's engines.

They had just found the ship's landing bay and where just about to dock the ship. Luke unstrapped himself as the ships ramp fell. Luke got up and picked his father's body up. He made sure that he was warm before he carried him out. Mon Mothma stopped him before he could head for the ramp. "Here Luke, I brought another one of these things." She whispered as she removed the old oxygen mask and replaced it with the new one. His father coughed as soon as it was removed but inhaled deeply as the new one was placed over his face. He was then unconscious again. They followed Han and Leia out of the ship and made their way towards a large entrance. It was a huge building and the lights were so bright inside it almost blinded every one of them. They all hurried in through the almost invisible glass doors where they were greeted. Taun We and Lama Su both stood at the entrance to greet their guests. The two of them were incredibly tall. They had long, white, slender necks and one of them had the distinct facial features of a female. They both stepped forward and bowed in respect to their visitors. Luke and the rest of them did the same thing back to them. They had never seen creatures like them before. The female stepped forward and began to speak "greetings honoured guests, I am Taun We and this is Lama Su, Prime Minister of Kamino." The slightly taller male also stepped forward and bowed his head, then took his turn to speak to the visitors.

"You are most welcome to Kamino. As Taun We has already said, I am Lama Su and I am the leader of Tipoca City, capital of Kamino. What brings you to Kamino, if I may ask?" Luke waited for a moment then finally stepped forward with his father in his arms. He stopped in front of the tall alien as Taun We came over to look for herself. Lama Su bent his long neck white neck down to inspect Vader. He looked at him for a few moments then looked at Luke and then to Taun We. "Medical attention is the matter, is it not?" Luke quickly nodded as Taun We came even closer to the body in Luke's arms. "I would be happy to show you to our medical facilities. That is with the Prime 

minister's permission of course." Lama Su quickly looked up as he replied "yes, of course. Show our guests there." Taun We nodded as she put her hand on Luke's back and led him and the other down a long white hallway filled with windows on both sides. While the rest of them looked around the place Luke just kept his eyes on his father. He would not think about anything else until he saw his father healed or at least beginning to make a recovery. As Tuan We continued to lead them to the infirmary she looked down at Luke and asked curiously. "What is wrong with him?" Luke looked up at her and replied softly "shortage of oxygen and starvation." She nodded her head in understanding and also asked him what his name was and was the group with him his family. "Luke Skywalker and the younger woman back there is my sister." Taun We smiled as she looked down at Vader. "And who is this gentleman?" Luke smiled as he replied in a much happier voice; he knew that she was trying to cheer him up. "This is my father." She patted his back gently as she turned a corner followed by Luke and the rest of the group.

Around the corner was another long hallway but they found out that they did not have to walk far. She stopped outside the third door and the right hand side of the white hallway. Once everyone else had stopped, she than announced "This is our medical facilities, they are the finest in the city of Tipoca." She once again looked at Luke and said softly "come Luke, bring your father in here." She gently gave Luke a slight push into the room. Once Luke had gone into the room she then turned to the rest of them and said. "Please make yourselves comfortable. I shall be out in a moment." Mon Mothma and Leia politely nodded and Han did too. But what Luke did not know was that Han had heard the word 'father.' He knew at last what was going on.


	14. Begining to Recover

Taun We followed Luke into the medical room. It was slightly smaller than the one his father was in back on Endor but it did look far more equipped. She showed Luke to a medium sized bed where she helped him lay his father onto the bed just like Mon Mothma had done. The bed was big enough and the blankets were pure white. They felt soft and also smell fresh. His father did not stir when Luke began to help Taun We hook him up to a range of different monitors. On kept track of his vital signs, one kept track of his heart and the last one was a respirator which breathed for him. His father had gotten even thinner. Nearly all the bones in his chest were clearly visible. Taun We looked down at Luke sensing his emotion. She had studied human emotion and knew that he was sad. "Is there anything that you would require sir?" Luke continued to stare at his father and then looked up at her. "Yes, could you bring me some food?" She nodded the turned and to head for the exit. Before she did she asked. "What food do you require sir." Luke put his hand on his father's forehead as he replied "Anything light." And with that Taun We strode out of the room to meet the others who had been waiting patiently.

"If any of you wishes to go in you may." She told them as she made her way down the hallway. Mon Mothma and Leia went in whilst Han stayed where he was. He now understood the connection between them. They were a father and son. He was right about what he had said earlier. No one tells him anything. They left Han to have time alone with his thoughts; they went in and stood beside Luke as he looked down at his father. Luke looked up at the two of them. He took hold of Mon Mothma's hand as he said "I-I fear for him." She knew that Vader was getting the best medical attention but she also knew that Luke needed to know that. Just then Taun We came in with a small silver bowl. The gleam of it was beautiful and it was filled with what looked like small pieces of cut fruit. She brought it over to Vader's bedside and Luke smiled, showing his appreciation. She set the bowl by Luke's side, bowed her head and left again. It was merely a brief visit.

Luke lifted a small piece of fruit and slowly brought t to his father's mouth. He tried to resist at first, trying to move his head away. Luke gently took hold of his father's head and tenderly put the small piece of food into his father's. Once he had it in his mouth he began to choke but once Luke patted his chest gently and held his head up for support he easily swallowed it for the first time. Luke looked at Mon Mothma and then to Leia. "He's eating." Mon Mothma handed him another piece of fruit and he put it into his mouth again and like the first time, he swallowed it. Mon Mothma looked at Luke and laughed. "You know Luke, you're going to need more than one bowl of food for him to make up for nearly two months." Luke smiled at her and for the first time since they had arrived at Kamino. Leia smiled. He was on the road to recovering; he just needed to get medical care on his breathing and on his poor lungs, especially the pierced one. There was still a lot to do to get his father back up on his feet again.


	15. Building Friendships

Luke had stayed with his father in that room the whole time his father was staying there. Han had come into the room more than once but he could just not find anything to say. So all he did was walk out again. Luke knew that Han would talk to him again, all he needed was time. And Luke would give him that. His father was now eating and drinking again and was ever barely slipped into unconsciousness like he used to. Now he just merely slept. He had put on more weight and with the help of Mon Mothma and Luke, he felt prepared to go into cloning surgery. They were told that it was possible for him to get new lungs and they would gladly provide new limbs and clothes for him. And to make things even better, Leia had come into the room a couple of times to speak to him about his life, how his transformation into the evil Sith Lord he once was happened and she also asked about her mother, Padme' what she looked like. Leia was right when she said that she would never forgive Darth Vader about what he had done to her, Han and Luke. But she had closely watched Luke with him, and only now did she understand that this man was not the evil Darth Vader. It was her loving father, Anakin Skywalker.

She had sat beside him one night just after Taun We had left some food and Lama Su had made the odd visit to check up on his patient's progress. She was not afraid of him anymore. She knew who he was now. He had nearly fallen asleep sitting up straight. He had been answering so many of Leia's questions. She often gave a slight laugh as she noticed that she was making her own father fall asleep with her questions. She usually stayed late with him only this time she only stayed a little while. Han had a few things he wished to say to Vader or as they now called him, Anakin. Even Han was learning how to call him by his first name. He had come into the room and found that Leia had already left. Anakin sat up in the bed looking straight at him. Han entered and said nothing; he just simply came over to the bedside and sat down. The both of them just sat there and said nothing. Han looked at him and smiled slightly. "Uh, how are you feeling?" He it would be the simplest thing to say. Anakin smiled as he replied "I am feeling better, thank you Han." Han could not believe that the 'powerful Lord Vader' just said thank you. He smiled and began to talk more. "Your son Luke, you must be proud of him." Anakin smiled at this, he was proud of his son and he would not hesitate in telling anyone that.

"I love him more than my life." He whispered gently to Han. Han nodded; it was the first thing he and Anakin had in common. He loved Luke just as much as his father did. And they both loved Leia too. Han knew that if he gave Anakin time he and would become friends with the former Sith Lord. As Anakin lay his head back on the soft pillows Han started to have thoughts on why he had fallen out with Luke in the first place. His father was not a bad man after all. He never was deep down inside. Anakin knew that he was beginning to recover when he did he would be going into surgery to have his new limbs fitted. He had made peace with Han and he had made peace with Leia too. He truly felt like he had a family now. They had looked after him and nursed him back to health. He only hoped that he could return the favour someday. It was nearly night and it was not hard to see that Anakin was just about to fall out cold. Han laid a hand on his chest and whispered. "I heard you're going into surgery tomorrow so good Luck and goodnight." Anakin felt his eyes starting to become heavy, he was ready for sleep. Han gave a playful pat on his shoulder as he prepared to leave the room. He got up and walked towards the doorway but before he went out he faintly whispered. "Hey, I'm somehow glad that Luke convinced me not to kill you." Anakin smiled at what as he said and before he could open his mouth to reply. He was asleep.


	16. Memories

Taun We had awoken Anakin early that following morning; he was to go into surgery for his new limbs. He would have it done before anyone would be up. He was gave a thin tunic to put on for undergoing the surgery. Once he was dressed in the thin tunic. His bed was wheeled from the medical room and into another room a few doors up. He was told that as soon as he recovered from the surgery he would be allowed to leave, all of them would be. He was brought into the room and as the door closed behind them, the operation began.

Meanwhile back on Endor trouble was starting to stir and it was waiting for them as soon as they returned. They were all classed as traitors for help a war criminal such as Darth Vader and to make matters worse the imperial fleet that they were against and trying to overthrow seemed to have gotten stronger over night. As soon as Mon Mothma returned with Anakin and the others there would be hell to pay

Anakin's surgery went quicker than he had thought. He was only in there for an hour and a half. His new limbs were comfortably fitted onto the stumps that were once his real ones and they looked a lot like Luke's false arm along with his new legs. And unlike the emperor and his methods, he was put to sleep during the procedure instead of having to stay awake and endure it. Now he was safely in his comfortable medical bed once again, resting from the whole procedure. By now Han, Leia and the other two had heard about his operation and as soon as they did they immediately went to see him. When he saw all of them come in at once it was a surprise to him, he did not think they would have cared so much but clearly they did. Luke was the first one over to the bed. He grabbed his father's hand and squeezed it tightly. "How did it go?" He asked curiously as the rest of them came to the bedside. "I couldn't really tell you much Luke. I was slept through it all." Luke chuckled as Leia approached her father's side. "I-I'm glad you're alright." Anakin nodded at her and smiled as he told them that he would be allowed to leave the following morning. They were all pleased by this. The sooner they got back to Endor the sooner his father could officially start to rebuild his life with his family and new found friends.

He smiled again as he took a deep breath. His smile lasted for only moment. He was remembering something or _someone_ who he had forgotten about, the emperor. He looked at Luke and also remembered that the emperor wanted him. "Father?" Leia began "what's wrong? Are you alright?" He gulped as he then looked into her eyes. "I remember the e-emperor." It was all he had managed to say and even those words seemed to cause alarm in the group. They had forgotten him two but Anakin doubted that the emperor forgot about him or Luke. He knew that they were out there and it was Anakin's neck on the line now. The emperor would not be as sympathy as they were towards him. He was not that sort. He now feared that his life of service and devotion and the emperor and the empire. Could well cost him his son's life and his too.


	17. Voices int the Night

They stayed and talked with him the rest of the day. He had so much to catch up on with his son and daughter. And he never got to really thank Mon Monthma for taking him in and helping him despite the monster he was to everyone. He was finally getting another chance to redeem himself. The hours flew by like seconds, one second it is the early morning, the next it is dusk. It was not long before they were all yawning one after the other. Anakin lay back down into the pillows whilst Han, Leia and Mon Mothma got up and slowly walked towards the door after saying goodbye and goodnight. Luke was the only one who remained behind with his father. Han and Leia were already gone but Mon Mothma noticed that Luke was still sitting there. She knew that he would appreciate a moment alone with his father. She smiled and left the two alone in the room together.

Luke sat for a moment, then without saying a word he threw himself onto his father, locking him in another tight embrace. "I'm so glad you're going to be alright father."Anakin did not say a word. He just stroked his son's hair and replied "I wouldn't have been if it was not for you and Mon Mothma. I would have possibly got what I deserved. Wounded and left to die. And that would have been it. I'm very grateful to you, son. Thank you." Luke lowly loosened his embrace and said. "So we're going home tomorrow then?" Anakin chuckled and then nodded. "That's right son, we're all going home in the morning." Luke had the same look on his face as Anakin did, cheeky. "You sure nothing else is going to happen to you? You have a knack for getting wounded or captured." Anakin looked at his son in surprise. "Oh, well excuse me for getting hooks thrown at me." He replied sarcastically. It was hardly his fault. Luke laughed again and yawned in the middle of it. Anakin felt as he had not laughed in years. "You open that mouth of yours any wider you'll swallow me whole." Luke gave his father a playful punch on the shoulder. It was rough play.

"I think it is time you went to bed, Luke." Anakin yawned. "Yes master" Luke replied in a sarcastic tone. "Yes I suppose you could call me that." Luke had never heard his father so many jokes. Sure he had to work on them a little but it was still odd coming from the former Darth Vader. Luke finally got up and walked out the door but before Anakin could finally fall asleep he heard a booming voice coming up from the hallway shouting. "Goodnight father!" Anakin laughed at this and he laughed even more when he heard Han shouting "Luke! Some of us are trying to sleep here. You want to wake your father up?" Anakin burst out laughing as he replied, his voice echoing the hallway "Alright, goodnight to you too Luke." He heard Han's voice mumbling in from a few doors down. "I take back what I said about the kid's father." Anakin shouted down, his voice continued to boom and echo throughout the hallways and other room. "Han, I was only saying goodnight to my son." Luke heard this and joined in "Yeah Han." Han, even though he was a few doors down from Anakin's always had to get the last word in. "Look I don't want a rebellion okay I..." Leia then broke in "then how come you serve one?" "I don't mean that, the kid and his father were going against me and I just..." Anakin chuckled as he replied. " I did nothing of the sort. It was Luke." "Excuse me father, I was just saying goodnight." Luke shouted at his father.

Everyone's voices were now booming through the hallways now. And it was only settled by Mon Mothma's voice. "Will all of you just shut up?" As soon as her voice was heard everything went silent. Anakin was the last to fall asleep. He still had the emperor on his mind. If it wad not for the emperor, his life would be perfect.


	18. Going into Hiding

When Anakin awoke the next morning he found that everyone else was up long before himself. He had clearly overslept or so he had thought. He got up out of bed and got dressed into the thin tunic that they had provided for him. It felt nothing like that black prison that he had to wear for so many years of his life. He put it on and went out into the hallway to meet none other than his son, Luke. He looked flushed and worried. He turned to his father and smiled at he was up and walking again. "Hey father. I was just coming to wake you up." Anakin put a hand on his shoulder what the matter was. He knew that there was something wrong. Luke looked to his left and then to his right before answering. "The emperor knows we're here." He whispered. Anakin gulped at the very thought of his cruel master and asked how the emperor could possibly know of their whereabouts. Luke shook his head as he replied "I don't know. I heard from Han who said that it said in his newspaper. II think it said something like: _'Apprentice found.' _Or maybe it was '_Kimino is to be searched for Dark Lord & Jedi.' _His father knew that his master felt him in the force and he also knew that his son was with him. Anakin looked at Luke worriedly and asked what they were to do and did the others know about the news apart from Han. Luke said that everyone knew and that Mon Mothma had suggested about going into hiding.

Anakin thought that it would be a coward's choice to go into hiding but he would do it if it would keep his family safe and his son Luke. He would not lose him again. He looked into his son's eyes and then said in a low voice. "Alright, hiding it is then." Luke smiled at his father; he also knew that his father was doing it just to keep him and his sister safe. They stood for another moment without saying another word, they just kept smiling. Luke knew that his father was truly redeemed. Then just as Anakin was about to say something else Leia came running up to them. She stopped infont of them and then greeted them both. Anakin turned to Leia and then guessed. "You heard then." She nodded. The whole point she had came running to them was to check to see if her father knew. Just as soon as she caught her breath she then said "I'll go tell Mon Mothma that you already know." Before she could run off Anakin grabbed hold of her arm. She turned around in alarm as he said. "Also ask Mon Mothma where we are going into hiding?" Leia slid out of her father's grip and answered. "I thought she or Luke had already told you. We're hiding out on Tatooine. Vader stepped back in alarm. He vowed never to return to Tatooine after the death of his mother, Shmi Skywalker.

She and Luke both looked at him in corncern. "Father..." Leia began "a-are you alright." Luke Finished. Anakin quickly looked up and nodded. "Yes I'm fine." They both nodded at the same time, they would take his word for it. If he said he was alright then they assumed he was. Leia then, without saying another word turned and ran back to her and Han's room. Luke turned to his father and assured him that everything was going to be okay. Anakin on the other hand knew that the issue between him, Luke and his master, the emperor was far from over. It was not long after Leia had gone that Han came out of the room. They both turned to him as he said. "Hey come on you two. We're leaving now." Anakin and Luke both looked at each other in surprise. It was all a bit sudden but then again if they stayed any longer they would surely be found. A few Moments later after they had made the final arrangements about what they were going to do they found Mon Mothma. She was out at the Millennium Falcon getting it ready. They said their last goodbyes to the two Kaminoans, Taun We and Lama Su. They both bid them farewell as they made their way towards the Falcon. They would soon be off Kamino and arriving on Tatooine within a few hours. As soon as everyone was onboard and the ship began to rise,the newly redeemed Anakin Skywalker knew that he would have to finally face his past on Tatooine and his beloved mother, Shmi.


	19. Tatooine

The ship had just taken off and had just left the kamino atmosphere. Everyone was certain about hiding out on Tatooine. Anakin was not sure at first but as time went by the time went by he finally began to settle down again. They were only about an hour away from the planet of Tatooine and as they drew nearer his thoughts on his master started to ease. Little did Anakin know that his master had been biding his time for his apprentice to return. It had almost been three months since Lord Vader's disappearance and the emperor also knew that Vader had not been captured. He refused to bring his son to him and that is what angered him most of all. His most loyal servant had disobeyed an order and that would not be forgotten. The emperor had hired bounty hunters, smugglers and scoundrels to go to every star system and planet to bring Vader back along with his son, both alive. The bounty was sixty pieces of solid white gold. Even one piece would make you as rich as a king since the gold was extremely rare in most parts of the galaxy. He had his officers and his storm troopers digging in abandoned spice mines and caves. The whole project was overseen by himself, his most trusted female officer, Juno Elipse and Grand Moff Tarkin. So with his plan in place he hoped he would have Vader back within a minute. All he had to do was to bide his time a little while longer.

Meanwhile thousands of miles away the Millennium Falcon had had just landed on the remote planet of Tatooine. Han had carefully glided the ship over the sand dunes trying to find firm ground to land on. He eventually found a large area filled with boulders and surrounded by sandstone and cliffs. It was all located near an abandoned Tusken Raider camp. The huts were half rubble and dust but with a little work and building skill they thought that they could use this for their base as long as they were in hiding. It was far away from and any town or city and it had the perfect cover and camouflage. It was perfect. They unstrapped themselves and quickly exited the falcon to look at their new settlement but for as for Anakin it did not look so bright for him. When he found out that he would have to face his past again back on that blasted planet. This isn't exactly what he had in mind. He knew by the surroundings that this was the same camp that he had found his mother in decades before. And if there was one place that he had intended on never going back to, that settlement would have been it. He was the last to leave the ship and look upon the old settlement. Once he took his first glimpse of it gave him the creeps. He felt a cold shiver run through his entire body.

Whilst the others made themselves quickly at home Anakin took a tour around the old huts. The whole camp looked like it had not been long abandoned. There were traces of camp fires all the way around the settlement. He hoped it was abandoned, but then again if there was any creature around for miles he would be able to sense it. But there was nothing, it was safe. They only planned on staying on Tatooine for a short while, couple of weeks at the latest. But the one thing that none of them could sense was the future, except Anakin but unfortunately he couldn't even estimate how long they were going to have to stay for. The rest of the group began to repair some of the smaller huts. It was just minor damage, cracked walls, roofless at the top and they also needed bigger entrances. Luke helped Mon Mothma helped Luke repair one of the walls, it was so simple. All he had to do was pick up a heap of boiling hot sand and crush it against the wall. The blazing twin suns did the rest. They scorched the sand until it hardened against the wall. Luke remembered had always found the twin suns of Tatooine beautiful. One was almost like a pure red with a hint of orange and the other was almost like a perfect purple colour. They were absolutely amazing. Anakin helped Han and Leia fix up the inside of one of the huts. Leia was picking up some old pieces of pottery that was scattered all over the floor of the hut. It was a mess. Han and Anakin were checking to see if any of the walls were about to come through. Anakin carefully laid his hand on the wall and gently pushed to see how strong they were whilst Han just leaned against it chuckling away as he watched Anakin.

"You're so careful around everything. Anyone ever tell you that." Anakin turned to look at him then continued on what he was doing. He gave a smile as he answered "Well, I can see things before they happen so guess I would need to be careful." Han chuckled even more as he shifted all of his weight against the wall. "Oh, can you now? Well tell me this...what's going to happen in the next seven seconds?" Anakin looked at him once again while closing his eyes for a moment the answered. You're going to go through that wall in 7..6..5..4..3..2..1.." But nothing happened. Han had flinched at first, and then said "Ha, in your face Darth. Do you see me falling through a wa..." Anakin shut his eyes at the sudden flash of sunlight and when he opened them all he could see was a large hole in the wall.

He stuck his head out of the hole in the hut to see Han sitting on his backside in the middle of the dusty, sandy ground. He also appeared to be paralyzed or just spooked big time. Anakin giggled at the sight of him. Han looked up and pointed at him then shouted. "I mean it; you're the god damn devil." Anakin burst out laughing at this and to make things even worse for Han, Leia came to take a look. The very sight of him sitting there made her burst out laughing along with Anakin who was finding it really hard to stop. They were almost in stitches at the very thought of Han falling through a wall in result to one of Anakin's predictions. When Anakin finally managed to stop giggling he looked into Han's red face and said "Hey don't get all mad at me Han. You're the one who asked." Han smirked in reply then without saying a word he put one of his fingers across another, asking the sign of the X which looked more like a slanted cross. "See when I get you one of these days, Darth. Oh boy, are you gonna get it!" He said in a low voice. Anakin could not tell if he meant it as a real threat or as a joke but either way he didn't really care.


	20. Bounty for a Sith

By the end of the third day since they had arrived at the settlement, they had completely restored the huts and they were now strong enough to live in. They had already discussed that they would take it shifts in going into Mos Espa for food and other daily needs. Han and Leia had gone together and had brought back a week's worth of food. Han said that he had enough money. Gambling and smuggling came at a nice price. He kept all his earnings aboard the Millennium Falcon in a small box. He had only recently showed it to the others and they were still trying to get over how much money was in there. There was far too much to count so all they could say was it was a hell of a lot of money. The week was nearly spent and they all decided to go into Mos Espa except for Anakin who had just begun to build a new hut. He had been at it for a few days and it was almost impossible to get him away from it. They would not pester Anakin about coming with them. He was the one who did most of the shopping along with Luke before Han and Leia so why not give him a break?

They were just about to leave for Mos Espa. Mon Mothma had warned them about drawing attention. There could be a bounty over their heads or wanted posters so she instructed them not to talk to anyone. They were constantly warned to lay low. Anakin waved goodbye and then continued on with what he was doing as they left. They went into the Falcon and took off. The trip to Ms Espa was short so they found themselves walking back out the ship within twenty minutes or so. When they arrived they also decided to split up to get things done quicker. Mon Mothma and Leia went looking about the different food stalls Whilst Han always remained cautious and only asked directions from a few travellers that he felt she could trust. He wanted to know where he could get his ship serviced and fuelled. The traveller nodded and then pointed to a tall, sandstone building where all the other ships were gliding into. Han showed his thanks by tipping the man as he walked over to his ship to bring it to get serviced for the journey home. Luke was the only other member in the group to have met somebody. It was a young woman but she looked well equipped with weapons and she had a small cloth like pouch hanging at the side of her waist. Her hair was fiery red that glowed in the sun. It was tied back in a long plat that draped over her shoulder. Luke stopped and looked at her at first. He did not dare to speak to her since he saw the imperial sign tattooed on her wrist.

She looked over at him then called "you there." Luke looked over and knew that she was talking to him. Luke looked straight into her green eyes and replied "were you talking to me?" She rolled her eyes then gave a pleasant grin. "Yes. Come over here." Luke obeyed and went over to where she stood. Once he came into close contact with her she began to speak. "I need to ask you a few questions alright." Luke nodded. "Are you an imperial by any chance?" Luke thought back to when he went along with Ben Kenobi to anchorhead and they were stopped by imperial troops. If Ben had not done that simple mind trick they would have been in big trouble. They were not imperials after all. Even though he was not an imperial Luke thought it would be best to say the opposite answer. "Y-Yes I am." She looked curious but continued with her apparent questions. "I am looking for a man who goes by the name of Darth Vader. Do you know him?" Luke nodded without saying a single word. "Where is he?" She said in an almost demanding voice. Luke started to wonder now; why was she asking him this but then he guessed that she had asked many people before him. "Why do you want to know?"She smiled at his question. "I-I am his sister and I need to know where he is." Luke stared at this woman. His father had never said anything about having a sister or Luke having an aunt. Even though he was still curious he answered. "He is at the old tusken raider camp not far away from away from here." She nodded and then without saying a word. She bowed her head and left.

Luke bewildered and surprised at this went back to tell Mon Mothma, Han and Leia. He met Leia first and told her about the stranger he had met and that she said that she was their father's sister. Leia was surprised that she said that she was Anakin's sister. She did not know that their father had a sister either. They both thought it would be wise to let Mon Mothma in on this. They both and wandered about the town until they found her bargaining and haggle with a native over fruit and drink. Once they saw her they came running up to her. She turned and saw that they both looked worried and curious. She knew that something had happened or that something was troubling them. She looked into Luke's eyes and saw that he needed to ask something. "Luke, I can see that you are worried. Tell me what is wrong." Luke looked at Leia then back to Mon Mothma. "I met a young woman who said she was related to my father, his sister." Mon Mothma also looked at Luke in surprise. She had never heard of Anakin having a sister. "What did this woman look like Luke?" To Luke, describing the young women was simple. He still had a clear image of her still in his head. "She was tall, did not look anything like my father's age not even close and my uncle Owen told me that my father's mother died when he was really young. Twenty's in the latest. It just doesn't add up." Mon Mothma wanted to know more about this stranger. "Anymore you can remember Luke?"

Luke nodded as more distinctive features came into his head. "Her eyes were dark emerald green. Her hair was fiery red and she had the imperial mark on her wrist. She also had another person standing behind her with the same mark only on the side of his neck. Their clothes both looked like nothing but armour and she had spikes on a wrist band she wore." Mon Mothma thought she knew exactly who he was talking about. "Luke, did she have a rimmed scar on the side of her cheek." Luke could not remember any marks on her but he did see one tiny looking scratch on the side of her face. "I can't remember her having a scar but I do remember seeing a small circle like mark on her left cheek. By now Mon Mothma knew rightly who Luke was talking about. "Luke that woman was not your father's sister. She was a bounty hunter. Her name is Juna Lenka" Luke felt like his heart just stopped. He had given his father's location to a bounty hunter. He looked at Mon Mothma in the eyes and said worriedly. "I thought that she was my father's sister and I-I gave her my father's location." Leia and Mon Mothma both looked at him as if what he just said was not true. "Luke we must get back to the settlement before it's too late." Leia looked at Mon Mothma and then shouted. "I'll get Han." She quickly ran to the docking station to get Han. Before she could turn Mon Mothma grabbed her by the arm. "We're coming with you." She nodded as she led the way to the docking station.

As soon as they arrived they met Han sitting on as seat sipping a coffee. They ran and without any warning at all Leia and Mon Mothma ran in and grabbed Han by the arms whilst Luke went into the next room to cancel the rest of the servicing for his ship. "What the hell is going on?" Han demanded as he was dragged out of the room. "Anakin's in trouble." Mon Mothma hastily replied and continued "He's been tracked by a bounty hunter and who knows what she'll do to him." Han did not say another word. He just ran into the next room to meet Luke who was watching as the ship was reversed out of the docking station. Once it was, not one of them hesitated in getting back into the ship. Han was the last one to get aboard and strap himself in whilst the others were already ready to travel. "Han, will you hurry up!" Luke urged as Han struggled to untangle his flight harness. He knew he was wasting too much time. "Ah, Screw this."He flung his flight harness aside and immediately prepared the ship for takeoff. Once the ship was off the ground the only the thing that Luke and Leia could do now was to hope that their father was okay. He had no weapons on him and there were no other transports to escape if she arrived before them. He would be helpless.

Meanwhile back at the settlement Anakin was taking a break from his work on the new hut. He was too tired to do more. It was enough for one day. He went into one of the huts and sat down. He closed his eyes and almost drifted off to sleep but he suddenly head footsteps. He shot his head up to hear where the noise was coming from but then he heard a woman's voice and a man's voice also. They sounded young. He thought for a moment. It did not sound anything like Leia, Han, Luke or Mon Mothma. It could not have been them. Then suddenly as he heard the footsteps coming closer he caught glimpse of a young woman with blazing red hair and green eyes. She saw him too. As he saw her coming closer he made no attempt to move. He did not sense any threat. She walked into the hut in which he sat soon followed by a young man. A friend or brother perhaps? He had raven hair with hazel brown eyes. His whole outfit almost looked like amour, it was a lot like hers and they both carried a leather pouch around their waists. She stopped in front him and said "Darth Vader?" Before he replied he saw the imperial mark on her wrist. He looked at her then answered. "No." She looked at him in apparent surprise. "Oh, then who are you?" He smiled slightly at her. "Anakin Skywalker." She chuckled as she bent down to him clutching an armoured fist. "I know who Darth Vader was. And I know who you are, Vader." His eyes widened as she spat her words like venom but before he could say another word. Her hard armoured fist made a move and everything suddenly turned to darkness.


	21. Missing

By the time Han and the others got back to the settlement, it was too late. Their father was gone and the huts were mess. It looked as though they had been robbed. They had searched all of the huts and around the area and he was nowhere to be found. Luke knew that his father was somewhere and prayed that nothing happened to him. But he knew his father was also strong and that he could endure more than others. Mon Mothma knew that Anakin had strength but he was missing none the less. He had said he did not want to go with them to Mos Espa. They would have looked for footprints or tracks but the sand would have covered that by now if there was any. They had searched that area three times and Luke still refused to give up. Han had assured him that they would continue searching until they found him.

Everything was black at first but when he opened his eyes the light nearly blinded him. When He tried to get up he found that his hands were tied and there was a rope also around his neck. Alarmed, he looked around and there was no one in sight. The light shirt belonging to his tunic had been removed and he found what appeared to be whip marks across his chest and he felt them across his back too. He lay back down in the sand and hoped that it was all just a strange dream and that he would awaken and see his family. But when he opened his eyes he did see someone coming towards him but it was not his family. It was the young man and women he had seen before. Where they responsible, well Anakin's guess would be yes. She did punch him in the face. And he still had a reminder of her assault, his left eye was black and bruised and there were bloody gashes across his cheek. She looked over to him and shouted "Hey you there, get up!" He did not even know if he could. His hands were bound and his chest and back ached. She approached him this time, bent down to his side and grabbed him. "I said get up." He still struggled to get back up on his feet again. She tapped her foot on the ground in impatience "Now!" She screamed and this time he had finally managed to rise. As soon as he got on his feet she grabbed him by his arm and shoved him into her partner, who was known as Nuka. Who luckily was not as brutal as his partner is. He caught hold of their prisoner and with one look at him, Nuka there was something wrong.

"Uh, Juna..." He called out to her but she was too far away. She could just about her him answered "What? What is it?" He looked at Anakin and then answered "It's this guy here. He doesn't look too good." She turned and made her way over to where the both of them stood. "What the hell is wrong with him then? He's looks fine to me." Nuka pointed to the wounds on his back and on his chest. "I think that the sand is stinging him, he seems to be in pain." She looked at him as if in saying _why the hell would you care._"Oh, well we can't have that now can we?" She sniggered as she pulled out a water flask made from dried animal hide. She bent down and took a handful of sand then mixed it in with some of the water. She had more water flasks safely stored in a ravaged looking bag that her partner Nuka always carried so one flask of water did not matter. She put the boiling sand in with the water and shook it. She then turned to Nuka and said. "Hold him, his back towards me." The other nodded and turned him so that his back faced Juna. Anakin did not know what was going on so all he had to do was wait. She then unscrewed the top of the flask and without any warning flung the now boiling, sandy, water over the lashes on his back. He tried not to scream but he found that utterly impossible.It was just about to get worse when he was turned again and this time the water was thrown over his chest and over his face. His eyes now stung like mad.

He now hung limply now in Nuka's arms, panting and also a little bit of moaning. Trying his best to get the pain to finally stop. But it just would not cease.She smiled in satisfaction at her work. Even though Nuka thought that it was wrong to do such a thing but he still said nothing. She picked his and her belongings and then shouted "we're moving out." They moved from place to place just like travellers but they were bounty hunters not travellers. Nuka trailed behind while tugging at the rope that bound Anakin's hands.Forcing him to keep up. He had almost collapsed a number of times but he mostly just stumbled and tripped. His wounds ached from the water which felt almost like acid. He knew that he was going to struggle going through the sand dunes whilst being on a leash rope. He just hoped that he would see his family again. And he feared that this was the price he now had to pay for disobeying the Emperor, Sidious.


	22. Not giving up

It had now been three days since his father had gone missing and Luke was still determined to find him. They had waited and waited, hoping that Anakin would come back but the more the day went on the more Luke and Leia's spirits began to sink. Han went out every night to see if he was there but it returned to the camp alone They had all decided to split up and take different routes to see if they could find him if he still was not found when Luke and Mon Mothma went to look for him. Han and Leia were to go north towards Anchorhead whilst Luke and Mon Mothma would take the southern route to Mos Eisley to try their Luke there. They had set out that evening after saying goodbye to one another. Han and Leia had found nothing along the road but they knew that they would have to keep searching. They had stopped several as they went past the sand dunes. They felt as though they were going to die from exhaustion. Mon Mothma and Luke on the other hand had a bit more of an easy time. They had no sand dunes of ricks to climb over; it was just straight and narrow roads. They were getting close to Mos Eisley. Luke had sometimes travelled there with his uncle Owen to bargain for spare parts for droids. Mon Mothma had done her best to try and convince him that Anakin was alright but he did not believe her, not until he saw it with his own eyes.

Anakin was truly exhausted now. They had been walking for days and did not stop, not even at night to rest. His legs were weak and as soon as they stopped just for a second he immediately collapsed but he tried not to do so. Anytime he felt faint and collapsed he was either whipped or starved. He had never been released from the ropes that were tied around his neck and hands. He had collapsed once again from complete exhaustion and every time Nuka had tried to do something to help him Juna always hit him away. She walked over to the fallen figure and ordered. "You'd better get back on your feet quickly. I'm tired of using that damn whip." Anakin was too weak; he did not even hear her. She was a bounty hunter and the bounty for this man was going to be pretty low if he appeared half dead. She turned to Nika and ordered "give me a water flask!" Without saying another word he did as he was told and gave her a water flask. She snatched it out of his hand as she took it in her own. She then bent down to him and opened the flask. His eyes were not focused on her as she pulled his head back and squirted the water into his dry mouth causing him to nearly choke. "There. Now get up!" She shouted as she tried to pull him to his feet. He moaned weakly but that was all. But this time Nuka stepped in for once. "I think we should let him rest, Juna." She gave a frustrated groan as she struggled with the deadweight of his body. Once he was finally on his feet again she then turned to Nuka. "Oh Fine, have it your way." She handed him the rope and the ordered. "Here, tie him up." He nodded sadly and obeyed her as usual.


	23. Found at Last

Luke and Mon Mothma were just about to stop for the night but Luke had urged her to keep going. She was literally felt as if she could just fall asleep standing up. She refused at first but eventually gave in to Luke's urgings. Although Luke was hurt that his father had disappeared he had the strangest feeling that he would find him in the end. Luke had been trailing behind for some time now and she had noticed that. "We must stop somewhere Luke. It is getting too late." Luke wanted to keep going but he knew that she was right, as usual. She looked about the desert and saw no other settlements or towns but she did see a camp fire. "Luke. Look there." He turned as the flickering embers of the fire caught his eye. "Do you think whoever it is would let us stay for the night." Mon Mothma looked at him and shrugged "Well there's only one way to find out, come on." She led the way to the camp fire in distance but she must have been so desperate for somewhere to stay, Luke found it hard to keep up with her. By the time they had arrived they saw that a young man and woman were sitting by the fire. Mon Mothma cleared her throat to get their attention. The young woman looked at her in surprise. "Oh, you scared me there." She chuckled but as soon as Luke saw her face in the light of the fire he gasped. It was her, the woman who he was talking to him in Mos Espa. He tugged at Mon Mothma and whispered something in her ear and it seemed to have an effect on her instantly. She glared at the woman then asked straight away. "I need to ask you a couple of questions. Would that be alright? Juna." She stared at Mon Mothma in shock. "How do you know my name? Tell me." Luke and Mon Mothma both folded their arms and then Mon Mothma asked "Fine. But first you will tell us where Anakin is or should I say Darth Vader."

She looked at Nuka for backup but he did not give her any, he was personally sick of being told what to do. And now she had finally been caught in the act. "I don't know what you're talking about." Luke approached her with a clutched fist behind his back. "I think you do." She sniggered at Luke then finally Nuka stepped in. "We do have your friend, I-I'll take you to him." As Nuka began to walk Juna grabbed hold of him and refused to let go.Just then Mon Mothma grabbed hold of _her_ ram and squeezed so hard she almost stopped the blood flow. "You'd keep your mouth shut if you knew it was good for you, honey." She turned to the other young man and said "Lead the way Mr...Uh..." Nuka chuckled as he replied "Nuka. Call me Nuka." Luke smiled and laid a hand on his shoulder. "Alright Nuka lead the way." He led away from the warm camp fire and out towards a sand dune in the distance. But they were not headed for the sand dune. Luke could not see in the dark but he did manage to see an outline of a figure that appeared to be lying down. As they approached the figure they noticed that as soon as they were away from the camp fire the temperature on Tatooine was at night was freezing. It had always been colder near the towns for some reason and he betted that Han and Leia would be probably feeling the same effect. As they came even closer they found that the figure was very thin, he had both of his hands tightly wrapped around his arms in an attempt to keep warm and the last thing they noticed was that he appeared to be on a rope. It was tied around his ankle and ran to a wooden post where it was securely tied off.

Nuka approached the man cautiously and gave him a slight nudge. The man moaned as he began to wake up. He was literally that weak Nuka had to put his hand under his chin and lift his head for him. As soon as he raised his head Luke gasped in horror and felt like killing that woman. It was his father. "Father!" He shouted shock. The weak man looked round at him and weakly answered. "Who a-are y-you?" Luke felt his heart break. His father did not recognize him. Luke ran over to Nuka's side whilst Mon Mothma still had a firm grip on Juna. He ran to his father's side and hugged him. His father coughed weakly and then said "Hurts." Luke did not know what he meant by this until Nuka pointed out about his father's injuries "just go easy on his back. He's had a rough time." Luke nodded as he looked at his father gashed, infected back. As soon as Nuka left go of Anakin he immediately fell. He had no choice but to hold his head up again. Luke grinded his teeth and clenched both of his hands into fists. He angrily rose to his feet and approached Juna. "What the hell did you do to him? And try not to lie to me this time. Because see if you do I bust your face so hard you'll wish you had never been born. And don't think I don't mean that." Mon Mothma looked at him in awe. She had never heard Luke coming off with such words. Juna smirked and the replied "Hey Kid, it's a job. Get over it." Luke closed his eyes and tried his best to keep his rising anger at bay. "I really do not care if it is your job or your bloody hobby. Tell me what you done to him." She hesitated for a moment. Why should she tell the likes of him? What's he going to do? Mon Mothma gave her a violent tug and then ordered in the sternest voice. "Answer him!" She looked at Mon Mothma and smirked but before she could tug her again she finally answered. "Beaten, starved, thirsted and whipped. There, is that enough?" Luke held his fist against the side of her face and replied. "More than enough. Believe me." He hissed as he returned to his father's side. He knelt down quietly as his father's unbound hands garbbed hold of Luke. He pulled him close then whispered. "Luke?" Luke felt relief wash over him as his father remembered him. "Yes father, it's me." Anakin had kept his eyes closed since they were still badly affected by the boiling water. "You went to look for me?" His father was unsure why Luke would do such a thing he could have been caught too by them. "Of course I did. You didn't possibly think I would leave you did you?" Anakin remained silent. Mon Mothma smiled at the fact that they were together again. But she knew that Anakin was weak and badly injured none the less. He was in serious risk of dying from infection. The whip wounds had cut deep into his back and it made Luke sick to even look at the wounds.

Mon Mothma now felt the same way she did on Endor when his father was captured, ovecome with sorrow, anger and pity. She sighed and pulled out a small comm that she had brought along with her to contact Han and Leia. She switched it on and tried to get a signal. There was a small and slim keypad on the side of it and she punched in Han's code number which was 126557. As soon as she did Han's voice came onto the comm. "Hello Han..." She began, whilst constantly staring at the now unconscious figure of Anakin Skywalker. "Where are the two of you now?" She asked as she continued to watch the father and the son. "We didn't find anything so we just headed on back to the camp about an hour ago, why. Do you need picked up in the Falcon?" Mon Mothma smiled at his question. It saved her the bother of asking. "Yes Han we do. We found Anakin but he looks really wiped out. We've got to get him help soon or he might not make it." Han chuckled although Mon Mothma did not see what was so funny. "Is that guy ever in perfect health. I bet he's seen enough medication and medical centres to last him a life time." He joked hysterically. She was usually a patient woman but when they were standing in the middle of the desert with a sick man especially when it was cold. She was not so patient at all. It was even worse when Han was making wise cracks about Luke's father. "Look Han jus get over here with the falcon its freezing. We're off the road leading to Mos Eisley. Just get over here." Leia then came onto the comm and replied "We're on our way." And with that Mon Mothma switched off the comm. And dragged Juna over to where Luke's father lay.


	24. Brought Back

It was not long before Han arrived with the ship. He flew towards them and the sound of the engines almost deafened them. As soon as he and Leia got out of the ship she immediately ran to her father's side. She looked at Luke as she gently lifted her father's head onto her lap. He looked awful. His face was bruised and cut. His lip and nose was busted and there were blood stains that ran down both sides of his face from his eyes. She recognized the gashes that were across his face were whip marks. And by the looks of things he had been beaten pretty hard. She would be surprised if they did not leave scars across his face. "Who done this?" She asked her brother. Luke turned and pointed at Juna. "Her!" He shouted at the top of his voice. "She's the little fuc..." He could not even bring himself to use the word but he wanted to use that word a thousand times over and worse. If his father died he would blame her. Who knew how long he was lying there tied up like that, while she kept warm beside a warm campfire.

Luke personally wanted to go over and slap the face of her. Leia could see that Luke was hurt and she was hurt also. Han on the other hand was standing at the foot of his ship just wanted to get off the planet altogether. "Hey are we leaving or what?" He called out to the others who turned to him just as soon as he mentioned the word 'leaving'. Mon Mothma handed Juna over to Nuka and ordered "Don't let her go." Nuka smiled at her and replied "Believe me, I won't." Nuka, who thought she was still in charge turned her head to face her partner, now X-partner. "What do you mean you 'won't?" Nuka looked at her with a glare. "You know what I mean Juna. You have done everything but kill that kid's father. And by the looks of the damage that you have done, I'd say that he's not too far away from dying." She stared at him for a moment then turned her head away without saying a word.

Nuka watched Luke, Leia and Mon Mothma lift Anakin's broken body and slowly carry him into the ship. Mon Mothma looked back to Nuka and shouted "come on Nuka. We need you to help us. And you might as well bring that little killer with you." Nuka smiled and followed them aboard the ship, dragging Juna with him. Once they were all in and the ship had taken off Mon Mothma had made sure that Juna sat right beside her. She would not do anything or go anywhere without Mon Mothma's permission. Leia sat with Han in the cockpit. Nuka and Luke were kneeling down, tending to Anakin. leia had told Han to set a course for Endor again. She felt they had no other place to go, unaware that they had been classed as traitors.The medical facilitie back on Endor could help him. Only this time they hoped would get more help from the rest of the rebels if they were still there. She would make sure of that. They all knew where they were headed and were somewhat pleased. All Luke wanted to do was get his father medical care and see justice be done on that woman. Leia had come in a number of times to see how her father was holding out. His breathing was alright for the moment but he was constantly clinging onto Luke's arm. He was coughing a lot along with a low moan now and then. As Luke touched his chest to look at his injuries he immediately began shaking and shivering. Luke only hoped his father could hang on a little bit more. The lash marks were very severe and Luke feared the worst if he did not get treatment them quickly.

An hour had passed and Luke found that he had fallen asleep on top of his father. Han had awoken him as he shouted. "Here's Endor." Luke got up slowly and went to look out the window in the cockpit. Han was right; he could see the gigantic green planet as soon as he looked out. If the rebels were not there at least he hoped the medical facility would still be there. Anakin had survived the journey to Endor but he was still not in the medical hut. He just needed to hang on a little bit longer until they got him to the infirmary. His wounds were infected and it was rapidly begining to spread. He was weak and broken but Luke still hoped that there would be something that they could do to heal him. All he could do was hope for the best.


	25. A Blue Gem

By the time they arrived on Endor it was just coming into the morning but there were small fires lit in the distance. Maybe it was not deserted after all. Once they got out of the ship Mon Mothma told Han and Leia to come with her whilst Luke and Nuka get Anakin attended to. They ran to the medical hut which appeared to be just in front of them. Thank the force that it was there. They got Anakin in quickly and immediately started to clean the whip marks that covered his back, chest and face. He moaned when he felt Luke touching the injuries but they knew they had to. He would die otherwise.

Mon Mothma, Han and Leia went into the centre of the settlement but found no one until Han called out. "Is there anybody here?" Leia grabbed Han by the arm and whispered "Han, shut up. Do you want us to get caught? What if there are imperials around here, huh?" Han smiled as he turned to face Leia. "Well your worship, I haven't seen any yet, have you?" Just then they did see someone coming out of the shadows. It was the general. Mon Mothma sighed in relief but he did not seem to be pleased. "Oh general. Thank God it's you." Mon Mothma sighed in relief. The general said nothing as he began to circle Mon Mothma then as soon as he did a full circle around her he stopped right in front of her, looked her in the eyes then said. "Arrest them." As soon as he said those words more rebel soldiers came from the shadows and surrounded them. The general looked at his men and nodded. They approached the three of the including Juna and without saying a word they each took a pair of cuffs that hung at their waist and shackled their hands.

"This is an outrage general, on what charges are we being arrested for?" Before the general answered he looked at Juna and said. "I will tell you in a moment but first who is this lovely young lady?" Leia sniggered at her as she replied on Mon Mothma's behalf. "There is nothing lovely about her! She is responsible for my father's injuries and maybe even death!" The general looked at her in surprise. "But princess, you told me and all of us that your father did on the destruction of Alderaan." She knew that she was going to have to tell who her father really was but she also knew that she had kept it as a secret long enough. "He did. I am talking about my real father. Bail Organa was my adoptive father." No one saw where this was going apart from the three of them "and who is your real father Leia?" Leia took a deep breath; she knew that she would just have to hope for the best. "Darth Vader." There was a chilled silence. Everyone had heard her but they were starting to have doubts if they had heard her correctly. The general was the most shocked. "Senator is this true?" She waited for a moment then nodded slightly. The general showed no anger just shock and fright.

"And you said that this young woman injured him?" She nodded and then glared at Juna. She wanted to kill her. "Where is your...father now?" He questioned as Mon Mothma stepped forward and answered his question in a low, sad voice. "He is in a critical condition in the infirmary. He was starved, thirsted and lashed. He could die and I am asking you to help us general please." The general hesitated for a moment but before he could say another word he heard someone calling. "Hey!" They turned to see who it was. It was Nuka running up to them like a maniac. Mon Mothma ran to him and caught him in her arms, trying to steady him. "Nuka...take a deep breath and tell me what is wrong." He was panting for breath but when he finally managed to catch a breath the first thing he said was "dying" She stared at him in misunderstanding. "Nuka..w-what do you mean by the term 'dying'. She patted him on the back and encouraged him to answer. The kid's...the kid's father, he's d-dying." Mon Mothma felt her breath stop and so did Leia. She looked back at her then said to Nuka. "Bring the both of us to him." He nodded and began to lead them until they were stopped by Wedge Antillies. He grabbed hold of Mon Mothma and said "Senator, I-I'm coming with you, Luke is my best friend and I know what he must be feeling." She nodded with a smile. Nuka turned and ran all the way back to the infirmary followed by Mon Mothma, Leia, Han, Wedge and the General. Who instructed his men to stay where they were. By the time they reached the infirmary they could have swore thy heard soft talking. They slowly walked into the hut and found Luke sitting beside his father's bedside. He was crying. His father looked weaker than ever. He was clutching his father's hand, holding it to his lips.

Luke knew that the others were now standing in the hut, but he took no notice of them. All he kept his focus on was his father who was breathing slowly. He tried his best not to cry but he could still feel tears running down his eyes. His father smiled as he stroked his son's cheek. He took a deep exhale, his last breath and then said "You have never left me my son, I shall never leave you." And with those last words his breathing stopped. His eyes had closed, he was gone. Luke now found it even more difficult to keep the tears from falling, it was all so soon. He had never actually had a real chance to say goodbye to his father. /He is with us now Luke/ Luke turned around as he sniffed back a tear. "Ben?" Leia knew that Luke could hear Ben Kenobi; she knew that he was not talking to himself and she soon told the others that. They shrugged their shoulders as if saying 'it's a Jedi thing' Luke looked around the hut again trying to see if Ben had appeared. /He is with the force now/ the voice continued. "I want him back, Ben." Luke replied softly. Ben knew how much pain Luke was feeling but there was nothing he could do. To him the force had decided Anakin's fate. /that is the one thing that I cannot give you, young one/ he said sadly. Luke knew there had to be a way. There was always way. "I know I can undo what has been done Ben." He listened to Luke's words in astonishment then replied. /you're right Luke, there is a way...Kill the emperor/ Luke knew he had to bring an end to the emperor but he did not see how that would help bring his father back.

"How will that help my father?" Ben knew the answer to that question was simple. But Luke was still only young. /The emperor possesses a great power which is inside a stone, a diamond. The jewel is more precious than all the treasures that a ruler could ever possess. And it carries one thing, the power to take away life and the power to restore it/ Luke thought for a minute then he knew what he had to do; he would have to take the stone but in order to do that he would have to kill the emperor to get it. But where was it? Did the emperor carry it around his neck or did he keep it locked away? "Where is this stone Ben?" Luke could feel Ben become more distant, he was disappearing. "Ben!" Before he disappeared he said one more thing. /I'm sorry Luke. You'll have to find that one out for yourself. Good luck.../ after those words faded, Ben was gone and Luke now knew what he had to do. He then turned to the rest of the group who looked a bit spooked after all of that. Once all of their eyes were on him he said. "We need to destroy the emperor!"


End file.
